Guide bearing for use in the housing or bearing plate of a machine or other apparatus

ABSTRACT

A guide bearing disposed in the housing, bearing bracket or like structure of a machine or other apparatus having a shaft includes a guide bearing plate mounted on the structure for supporting the shaft of the apparatus. An elastic intermediate member having an outer peripheral surface is disposed intermediate the bearing plate and the structure. The intermediate member is made of porous material and is sealed at its outer periphery. The bearing plate has a portion supported on the intermediate member and this portion is formed with capillary bores extending therethrough and communicating with the member.

Unite States ate Latussek et a1.

451 July 31,1973

1 1 GUIDE BEARING FOR USE IN THE HOUSING OR BEARING PLATE OF A MACHINEOR OTHER APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Hans Peter Latussek, Feucht; HeinzPetrak, Nurnberg, both of Germany [73] Assignee: SiemensAktiengesellschaft, Berlin and Munich, Germany 221 Filed: Dec. 8, 1971[21] Appl. No.: 205,841

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 19, 1970 Germany G 70 46956.6

[52] US. Cl. 308/58 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6c 35/08 [58] Field of Search 58/140R; 308/58, 308/59 [56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,579,777 10/1969 France 58/140 R Primary Examiner-Charles J. MyhreAssistant Erqmirger lfranlr Susk o Attorney- Arthur E. Wilfond, HerbertL. Lerner et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A guide bearing disposed in the housing, bearing bracketor like structure of a machine or other apparatus having a shaftincludes a guide bearing plate mounted on the structure for supportingthe shaft of the apparatus. An elastic intermediate member having anouter peripheral surface is disposed intermediate the bearing plate andthe structure. The intermediate member is made of porous material and issealed at its outer periphery. The bearing plate has a portion supportedon the intermediate member and this portion is formed with capillarybores extending therethrough and communicating with the member.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures GUIDE BEARING FOR USE IN THE HOUSING ORBEARTNG PLATE OF A MACHINE OR OTHER APPARATUS The invention relates to aguide bearing disposed in the housing or bearing bracket of a machine orother apparatus. The guide bearing has a guide bearing plate whichsupports the shaft of the apparatus. The bearing plate is held to thestructure over an elastic intermediate member.

Such a guide bearing is known through the Deutsche Gebrauchsmuster Nr.7,012,805. In this guide bearing, the elastic intermediate member servesto attenuate axial vibrations of the shaft and to thereby minimize thenoise caused by this vibration. Such a guide bearing must be providedwith its own ancillary chamber for containing a lubrication medium forpermanently lubricating the bearing, so that the lubrication medium willalways reach the bearing location. Should oil be used as the lubricationmedium, then the guide bearing must be correspondingly sealed so thatthe oil does not leave the bearing chamber. However, if grease is usedas a lubrication medium and is placed into an ancillary chambersurrounding the bearing location, there exists the danger that thegrease will be thrown away by centrifugal force and, consequently, thebearing location will not receive adequate lubrication.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a guide bearingof the above mentioned type, wherein an adequate quantity of lubricationmedium is continuously supplied to the bearing location. Subsidiary tothis object, it is an object of the invention to supply the lubricationmedium in the manner described without the need of a separate ancillarychamber for holding the medium.

According to a feature of the invention, an elastic intermediate membermade of porous material is sealed at its outer periphery and a guidebearing plate has a portion supported on the intermediate member; thisportion is formed with capillary bores extending therethrough andcommunicating with the elastic member. The outer periphery of theelastic member can, for example, be sealed to a structure of the machineor apparatus wherein it is used.

An especially even supply of the lubricating medium is obtainedaccording to another feature of the invention, wherein the capillarybores are joined with each other by a capillary rill formed in the sideof the guide bearing plate facing the shaft. The porous material of theelastic intermediate member is sealed at its outer periphery in a simplemanner if this member is inserted in a cup-shaped end of a set screwengageable with the structure of the machine or other apparatus.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as a guidebearing for use in the housing or bearing plate of a machine or otherapparatus, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the detailsshown, since various modifications may be made therein within the scopeand the range of the claims. The invention, however, together withadditional objects and advantages, will be best understood from thefollowing description and in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the guide bearing according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the guide bearing illustrated in FIG. I.

Referring to the guide bearing illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an elasticintermediate member 3 is inserted into the cup-shaped end 2 of a setscrew 1, threadably engaging a structure 1 of a machine or otherapparatus having a shaft 8. The intermediate member 3 has an annularconfiguration and is made of porous material. A guide bearing plate 5 isinserted with its axial portion 6 into a ring opening 4 of the elasticintermediate member 3. The bearing plate 5 has a portion supported onthe intermediate member 3. This portion also has capillary bores 7formed therein and extending therethrough which are joined with eachother by a capillary rill 9 formed in the face of the guide bearingplate 5 facing the shaft 8. The intermediate member 3, for example, canbe made of rubber or plastic.

The elastic intermediate member 3, made of porous material, is permeatedwith oil that, during operation, reaches the bearing location of theshaft 8 on the top face of the guide bearing plate 5 through thecapillary bores 7'and the rill 9; this assures an adequate lubricationof the supporting location. Thus, no separate ancillary chamber isrequired for the lubrication medium in the guide bearing according tothe invention. Therefore, no sealing problems occur and an adequatelubrication of the bearing location is guaranteed since the lubricationmedium creeps from the capillary bores and capillary rill over the guidebearing plate to the bearing location by means of the pump actionoccasioned by the vibration. This action produces pressure which forcesthe lubrication medium through the capillary bores to the top side ofthe guide bearing plate.

It is claimed:

1. A guide bearing disposed in the housing, bearing bracket or likestructure of a machine or other apparatus having a shaft, comprising aguide bearing plate mounted on a structure for supporting the shaft, andan elastic intermediate member disposed intermediate said bearing plateand the structure and having an outer peripheral surface, said memberbeing made of porous material and being sealed at said outer peripheralsurface thereof, said bearing plate having a portion supported on saidmember, said portion being formed with capillary bores extendingtherethrough and communicating with said member.

2. The guide bearing of claim 1, said bearing plate having a surface forsupporting the shaft, and said bearing plate having a capillary rillformed in said surface and joining said capillary bores with each other.

3. The guide bearing of claim 1, further comprising a set screwengageable with the structure, said set screw having a cup-shaped endfor accommodating said intermediate member. 1

1. A guide bearing disposed in the housing, bearing bracket or likestructure of a machine or other apparatus having a shaft, comprising aguide bearing plate mounted on a structure for supporting the shaft, andan elastic intermediate member disposed intermediate said bearing plateand the structure and having an outer peripheral surface, said memberbeing made of porous material and being sealed at said outer peripheralsurface thereof, said bearing plate having a portion supported on saidmember, said portion being formed with capillary bores extendingtherethrough and communicating with said member.
 2. The guide bearing ofclaim 1, said bearing plate having a surface for supporting the shaft,and said bearing plate having a capillary rill formed in said surfaceand joining said capillary bores with each other.
 3. The guide bearingof claim 1, further comprising a set screw engageable with thestructure, said set screw having a cup-shaped end for accommodating saidintermediate member.